The Georgia State Patrol investigated a fatal accident on May 20. The accident occurred when a tractor trailer hit a van from the rear and pushed it into a 59-year-old man in a wheelchair. The fatal accident happened on Highway 21 in Screven County.
The victim was on a journey to try to raise awareness to the public about people with disabilities when he was hit. Traveling by wheelchair, the jazz harmonica player was attempting to travel 300 miles from Atlanta to Savannah. He began his trek on May 11, and the trip was supposed to end that Saturday with a charity concert.
The musician was not the only one who died in the crash. The driver of the victim’s escort van, woman, was also killed in the accident. A female passenger was taken to Doctor’s Hospital in Augusta to be treated for her injuries. The disabled victim was in a wheelchair due to a motor vehicle accident that occurred years before this fatal crash, and both of his legs were paralyzed in that previous accident.
In addition to their grief, the surviving family of a fatal accident victim often struggle with unexpected financial issues. Funeral and burial costs are expensive, and many families must deal with these concerns at the same time that they are grieving. When the gathered evidence indicates that a death was caused by the negligence of another party to the collision, a wrongful death lawsuit filed in a Georgia civil court may be appropriate. Evidence of negligence that proximately caused the accident and death that resulted will be necessary in order to establish financial liability according to applicable law.
Source: 13wmaz.com, “Highway crash kills Georgia musician during wheelchair trek“, May 21, 2015
